Here are social entrepreneurs who are forcing society to reconsider its conception of the very nature of human progress.

GAWAD KALINGA: Hope-Builders and Poverty-Busters

Gawad Kalinga (headed by Jose Luis Oquinena and Antonio Meloto) transforms slums into peaceful, productive communities in the Philippines, Cambodia, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea — 2000 of them so far. Landesa (and its head, Tim Hanstad) helps families in India, China and sub-Saharan Africa to China gain legal rights to their land, and a future for themselves — more than 105 million families over four decades. Nidan (helmed by Arbind Singh) is organizing India’s informal sector — 93 percent of its workforce, accounting for 64 percent of national GDP — into self-owned collectives. Nidan means “solutions” in Hindi. And Proximity Design (founded by Jim and Debbie Aung Din Taylor) designs, builds, and markets the affordable products and services that rural families need to transform their lives in Myanmar — 100,000 products, and even more services, to date.